editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Sylvia Poggioli is senior European correspondent for NPR's international desk covering political, economic, and cultural news in Italy, the Vatican, Western Europe and the Balkans. Poggioli's on-air reporting and analysis have encompassed the fall of communism in Eastern Europe, the turbulent civil war in the former Yugoslavia and how immigration has transformed European societies.Since joining NPR's foreign desk in 1982, Poggioli has traveled extensively for reporting assignments. Most recently, she travelled to Norway to cover the aftermath of the brutal attacks by an ultra-rightwing extremist; to Greece, Spain, and Portugal for the latest on the euro-zone crisis; and the Balkans where the last wanted war criminals have been arrested.In addition, Poggioli has traveled to France, Germany, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Sweden, and Denmark to produce in-depth reports on immigration, racism, Islam, and the rise of the right in Europe.Throughout her career PoggioliNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Sylvia PoggioliSun, 06 Nov 2016 02:06:34 +0000Sylvia Poggiolihttp://klcc.org
Sylvia PoggioliRome's Via Ramazzini is a residential street with a sprawling park that belongs to the Italian Red Cross. That's where newly arrived migrants are being sheltered in a tent camp.Outside on the sidewalk, three young African men say they're from Eritrea, here for the past two weeks after making a dangerous sea crossing.Yarid Hailah, 25, says his boat, with 190 people aboard, was filling up with water. Ten hours after they left Libya, they were rescued. "Nobody died," he says.With close to 160,000 arrivals this year, Italy could surpass Greece as Europe's major migrant and refugee point of entry. The country has been on the migrant crisis frontline for more than a decade and it's now taking the lead in combating smuggling and trying to identify the growing number of people who die in the Mediterranean crossing.On the street, there's a poster proclaiming in Italian, "Homeland and freedom, we are for sovereignty and identity, we are for a blockade against immigration and repatriation ofItaly Becomes A Leading Destination For Migrants, Matching Greece http://klcc.org/post/italy-becomes-leading-destination-migrants-matching-greece
58844 as http://klcc.orgSat, 05 Nov 2016 10:24:00 +0000Italy Becomes A Leading Destination For Migrants, Matching Greece Sylvia PoggioliOne of the greatest rifts in Christianity — between Catholics and Lutherans — isn't what it used to be. As a sign of those much improved relations, Pope Francis is traveling Monday to Sweden, an overwhelmingly Lutheran country, to kick off a year-long commemoration of the Protestant Reformation that split the churches 500 years ago.It was the year 1517 when the German monk Martin Luther pinned his 95 Theses to the door of his Catholic church, denouncing the Catholic sale of indulgences — pardons for sins — and questioning papal authority. That led to his excommunication and the start of the Protestant Reformation.The Catholic Church reacted with the Counter Reformation, and mutual enmity led to decades of religious wars that devastated central Europe.Gerard O'Connell, Vatican correspondent for the Jesuit magazine America, says the pope's participation in commemorating the Reformation is proof of the extraordinary change in Catholic-Lutheran relations."A recognition, perhaps, that bothPope Francis Reaches Out To Honor The Man Who Splintered Christianityhttp://klcc.org/post/pope-francis-reaches-out-honor-man-who-splintered-christianity
58487 as http://klcc.orgFri, 28 Oct 2016 08:29:00 +0000Pope Francis Reaches Out To Honor The Man Who Splintered ChristianitySylvia PoggioliAs Europe reels from the effects of the United Kingdom's Brexit vote, there's fresh anxiety about another referendum coming up in a major EU country.It won't be a vote on whether to remain or leave the European Union, but on Italy's constitutional reform package. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi says the reforms — which would simplify and accelerate the passage of laws — are long overdue and will finally bring an end to decades of his country's notorious revolving-door governments.But Italian analysts say the October vote could turn into a referendum on the Italian government itself — and could prove as much of a boomerang for Renzi, who has been prime minister for 2 1/2 years, as the U.K. referendum has been for David Cameron.Complicating matters further are Italy's banking problems. Italy's banks are burdened by $400 billion in bad loans, one-third the eurozone total. These problems predate the arrival of Renzi's center-left government, but they have become a politically explosiveAfter Brexit, Another European Referendum Looms http://klcc.org/post/after-brexit-another-european-referendum-looms
53282 as http://klcc.orgMon, 04 Jul 2016 10:46:00 +0000After Brexit, Another European Referendum Looms Sylvia PoggioliPope Francis begins a visit to Armenia on Friday, one of the "peripheries" of the world that are dear to him. He arrived in the capital, Yerevan, on Friday afternoon, and will spend three days in the small country whose geography made it a land of conquest by powerful empires and whose people have greatly suffered for their Christian religion.The visit will highlight the strong ecumenical ties between the majority Orthodox and smaller Catholic Christian communities, as well as promote reconciliation in a tense region that straddles Europe, the Middle East and Russia.In his native Argentina, Francis developed close ties with the Armenian community, whose members had fled persecution and massacres.Last year, Francis marked the centenary of the Ottoman slaughter of Armenians in a solemn ceremony, in which the mournful sounds of the Armenian liturgy echoed through St. Peter's Basilica. Concealing or denying evil, said the pope, is like allowing a wound to keep bleeding without bandaging itIn Armenia Visit, Pope Aims For Reconciliation In A Tense Regionhttp://klcc.org/post/armenia-visit-pope-aims-reconciliation-tense-region
52833 as http://klcc.orgFri, 24 Jun 2016 12:38:00 +0000In Armenia Visit, Pope Aims For Reconciliation In A Tense RegionSylvia PoggioliCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Rome Elects Youngest, First-Ever Female Mayorhttp://klcc.org/post/rome-elects-youngest-first-ever-female-mayor
52650 as http://klcc.orgMon, 20 Jun 2016 20:31:00 +0000Rome Elects Youngest, First-Ever Female MayorSylvia PoggioliAll across the Mediterranean, early Christian frescoes and bas reliefs carry the names of women deacons and even bishops — such as Phoebe, Helaria, Ausonia, Euphemia and Theodora.Yet in 1994, Pope John Paul II not only decreed that women are definitively excluded from the priesthood, he even banned all discussion of the topic.Pope Francis broke that taboo last month when he announced he would create a commission to study whether women can serve as deacons as they did in early Christianity.Seizing this new sign of openness, supporters of a female priesthood converged on Rome this week, to coincide with the Vatican's Jubilee for the all-male clergy.Marinella Perroni, a theologian and New Testament scholar who teaches at a Pontifical College in Rome, was one of the participants on a panel. She recalled that John Paul's 1994 edict even urged students to report errant teachers."In Rome, several professors were denounced to the congregation of the doctrine of the faith," she said. "This hadSeizing On Pope's Remarks, Women Meet In Rome To Discuss Female Priesthoodhttp://klcc.org/post/seizing-popes-remarks-women-meet-rome-discuss-female-priesthood
51920 as http://klcc.orgSat, 04 Jun 2016 12:31:00 +0000Seizing On Pope's Remarks, Women Meet In Rome To Discuss Female PriesthoodSylvia PoggioliCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.3 Shipwrecks In 3 Days: 700 People Die Trying To Cross Mediterraneanhttp://klcc.org/post/3-shipwrecks-3-days-700-people-die-trying-cross-mediterranean
51694 as http://klcc.orgMon, 30 May 2016 10:23:00 +00003 Shipwrecks In 3 Days: 700 People Die Trying To Cross MediterraneanSylvia PoggioliIn Rome's vast Piazza del Popolo, two uniformed men try to help a German tourist with directions. And, as is all too common in Rome, instructions get lost in translation.But it's the men's uniforms that leave the woman more perplexed. The cops assisting her are not Italian. They're Chinese.They're part of an unprecedented experiment in which Italian and Chinese police are working together this month on joint patrols on the streets of Rome and Milan.The aim is to assist Chinese tourists — some 3 million a year come to Italy.Chinese tourism to Europe is growing rapidly. But following terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels, Chinese travelers started feeling less at ease on the continent. Italy has become the first country to try to make Chinese tourists feel more secure.But at the moment, those needing help are two distraught Belgians. One has just been pickpocketed at McDonald's."His wallet was stolen, many credit cards were inside, so he is calling the bank," explains Pang Bo, deputyChinese Cops In Italy? Joint Patrols Aim To Ease Chinese Tourists' Jittershttp://klcc.org/post/chinese-cops-italy-joint-patrols-aim-ease-chinese-tourists-jitters
50875 as http://klcc.orgWed, 11 May 2016 16:34:00 +0000Chinese Cops In Italy? Joint Patrols Aim To Ease Chinese Tourists' JittersSylvia PoggioliCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Italians Concerned By Austria's Plan To Add Border Controlshttp://klcc.org/post/italians-concerned-austrias-plan-add-border-controls
50124 as http://klcc.orgMon, 25 Apr 2016 09:00:00 +0000Italians Concerned By Austria's Plan To Add Border ControlsSylvia PoggioliCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Pope Francis Meets Migrants In Lesbos, Returns To Rome With 12 On His Planehttp://klcc.org/post/pope-francis-meets-migrants-lesbos-returns-rome-12-his-plane
49749 as http://klcc.orgSat, 16 Apr 2016 21:14:00 +0000Pope Francis Meets Migrants In Lesbos, Returns To Rome With 12 On His PlaneSylvia PoggioliWhen Pope Francis travels to the Greek island of Lesbos on Saturday, he will likely bring with him a sharp rebuke for Europe's response to the migrant crisis.In 2013, on his very first papal trip, he traveled to Lampedusa to decry the "globalization of indifference" toward refugees and migrants. The Italian island — closer to Tunisia than to Italy — was then the major gateway to Europe for hundreds of thousands of migrants making the perilous sea crossing on smugglers' boats from North Africa. The pope laid a wreath in memory of the thousands who died at sea. And he lamented that no one had the courage to take responsibility for Europe's immigration dilemma.That 2013 trip, and the message that Pope Francis carried with him, was one of the first signs of a more assertive and less predictable Vatican stance on the global stage. Throughout the Cold War, the Vatican remained firmly in the Western camp. With Pope Francis, the first pope from the Global South, the Holy See showed hisHow Pope Francis Became A Foreign Policy Playerhttp://klcc.org/post/how-pope-francis-became-foreign-policy-player
49639 as http://klcc.orgThu, 14 Apr 2016 13:18:00 +0000How Pope Francis Became A Foreign Policy PlayerSylvia PoggioliThe town of Riace lies near the toe of Italy's boot. Small shops line its winding, cobblestone streets. It's perched on a hilltop, a typical medieval village with a church at its center.But there is nothing typical about Riace's people. Out of a population of 1,800, 450 are former refugees. Their children outnumber native Italians at the local school. Riace now calls itself a global village, whose residents come from more than 20 countries beyond Europe."So many civilizations have left their mark on this land," says Riace's three-term mayor, Domenico Lucano. "The ancient Greeks and Romans, the Arabs, Turks and Saracens. And this has helped us have very few prejudices about other peoples."Lucano says in the past 18 years the town has welcomed more than 6,000 migrants. As they arrived in Riace, an aging place with high unemployment, the mayor sensed an opportunity to revive what was quickly becoming a ghost town. He offered refugees abandoned apartments and job training.Bahram Akar, 50,A Small Town In Italy Embraces Migrants And Is Rebornhttp://klcc.org/post/small-town-italy-embraces-migrants-and-reborn
49522 as http://klcc.orgTue, 12 Apr 2016 09:03:00 +0000A Small Town In Italy Embraces Migrants And Is RebornSylvia PoggioliA private funeral is being held Friday in Fiumicello, the northern Italian hometown of a doctoral student whose badly battered body was found Feb. 3 on the outskirts of Egypt's capital, Cairo.The case has sparked outrage among Italians — who suspect Egyptian security forces were involved.Giulio Regeni, a 28-year-old student from Cambridge University, was doing research on independent trade unions — a touchy topic in Egypt. On Jan. 25, the fifth anniversary of the uprising that ousted the regime of Hosni Mubarak, security in the city was intense. That evening, Regeni never showed up for an appointment with a friend.Nine days later, his body turned up in a ditch, with what the Italian ambassador to Egypt described as unequivocal marks of torture.Marco Travaglio, editor of the daily Il Fatto, points out the contradictory versions offered by Egyptian authorities."The investigating official near where the body was found says no signs of crime, but of a car accident," Travaglio says. TheAs Questions Swirl, Italy Mourns Death Of Italian Student In Cairohttp://klcc.org/post/questions-swirl-italy-mourns-death-italian-student-cairo
46608 as http://klcc.orgFri, 12 Feb 2016 10:04:00 +0000As Questions Swirl, Italy Mourns Death Of Italian Student In CairoSylvia PoggioliSame-sex marriage or civil unions are legal throughout Western Europe, including many traditionally Catholic countries. The last holdout is Italy, where the Senate is about to take up a bill on Thursday that would legalize civil unions — though it would not authorize gay marriage. Tens of thousands of Italians took to the streets last weekend in some 100 cities demanding legalization of civil unions, including those of gay and lesbian couples."Italy, it's time to wake up," they shouted.The rallies were organized by LGBT activists and their supporters, who said they have grown impatient as they watched their European neighbors legalize same-sex marriage or civil unions.Carlo Terriaca, whose son is gay, attended the Rome rally. After retiring from his job as a bank manager, Terriaca became president of an association of parents of LGBT children. "I think in the last 10 years, Italian society has been deeply changing, particularly the new generation, you have quite a different feelingA Holdout In Western Europe, Italy Prepares To Decide On Civil Unionshttp://klcc.org/post/holdout-western-europe-italy-prepares-decide-civil-unions
45830 as http://klcc.orgWed, 27 Jan 2016 20:19:00 +0000A Holdout In Western Europe, Italy Prepares To Decide On Civil UnionsSylvia PoggioliIn winter, Rome has one of the mildest climates among European cities. It attracts not only off-season tourists, but also migratory birds such as starlings, which may be outliving their welcome.For much of the day, Rome's visiting starling population feeds in olive groves in the countryside. Well-fed, they start making their presence in the city known in midafternoon.That's when walking under tree-lined streets becomes dangerous.Kids run fast to avoid being hit by bird droppings. It's not raining, but Marianna Totti crosses the Ponte Sisto over the Tiber River under an umbrella."This is what we have to deal with," she says. "If it doesn't rain and wash down the streets, bird droppings are everywhere. The stench is nauseating. I come this way every day, so it's a constant risk for me."Cars parked along streets lined with tall trees are encrusted with sticky guano that's hard to remove. Many sidewalks and streets have become hazardous.At the corner of Ponte Garibaldi and the avenueDodging Droppings, Romans Cope With Massive Influx Of Starlingshttp://klcc.org/post/dodging-droppings-romans-cope-massive-influx-starlings
43869 as http://klcc.orgMon, 14 Dec 2015 09:58:00 +0000Dodging Droppings, Romans Cope With Massive Influx Of StarlingsSylvia PoggioliCopyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Impressions Brought Back From My First Africa Trip With The Popehttp://klcc.org/post/impressions-brought-back-my-first-africa-trip-pope
43521 as http://klcc.orgSun, 06 Dec 2015 12:54:00 +0000Impressions Brought Back From My First Africa Trip With The PopeSylvia PoggioliCopyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit MICHEL MARTIN: We begin this evening in Africa, where Pope Francis is making his first visit as pontiff. The pope is in the Central African Republic. It's the third and final leg of his trip. That nation also known as CAR is deeply divided along sectarian and communal lines. It's a conflict that's been carried out between warring Christian and Muslim militias. We wanted to hear more about the pope's message to the Central African Republic as well as the rest of his trip. So we are glad NPR's Sylvia Poggioli is with us. She is an Bangui, which is the capital of the Central African Republic. Sylvia, thanks so much for being with us.SYLVIA POGGIOLI, BYLINE: Thank you. It's my pleasure.MARTIN: What's the pope been doing there on his first day in Bangui?POGGIOLI: Well, you know, he brushed aside security risks and he stuck to his schedule, which included a visit to an overcrowded camp for people displaced by civil war and a ceremony in Bangui CathedralAmid A Violent Religious Rift, Pope Preaches Harmony In CARhttp://klcc.org/post/amid-violent-religious-rift-pope-preaches-harmony-car
43174 as http://klcc.orgSun, 29 Nov 2015 22:11:00 +0000Amid A Violent Religious Rift, Pope Preaches Harmony In CARSylvia PoggioliCopyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: Pope Francis touched down in Bangui, Central African Republic today, the final leg of his first ever Africa tour. Central African Republic, or CAR, has been plagued by tensions between Christian and Muslim militias. And the pontiff arrived under heavy security. His plans include a visit to a Catholic Church as well as a mosque. NPR's Sylvia Poggioli has been traveling with the pope, and she joins us now from Bangui. Thanks for being with us, Sylvia.SYLVIA POGGIOLI, BYLINE: Thank you.MARTIN: Pope Francis's visit to CAR is being called his first to a war zone. Can you describe what the scene was like for his arrival?POGGIOLI: Oh, security at the airport here was the heaviest it's ever been for a papal visit. There were dozens of U.N. peacekeepers, as well as a lot of local police. A helicopter hovered over the airport, and there was an extra contingent of Vatican gendarmes who arrived a week ago. They were all wearing flakPope Makes Final Stop On Africa Trip, In Central African Republichttp://klcc.org/post/pope-makes-final-stop-africa-trip-central-african-republic
43167 as http://klcc.orgSun, 29 Nov 2015 16:15:00 +0000Pope Makes Final Stop On Africa Trip, In Central African RepublicSylvia PoggioliCopyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: Pope Francis is in Nairobi, Kenya, today. It's the first leg of a trip to Africa. No surprise, he's talking a lot about climate change. In just a few days, a major climate conference opens in Paris. The Pope is calling on world leaders to reach a deal to reduce global warming. NPR's Sylvia Poggioli is in Nairobi, traveling with the Pope, and she joins us now. Hi, Sylvia.SYLVIA POGGIOLI, BYLINE: Hi, Ari.SHAPIRO: The Pope spoke at a U.N. office there in Kenya. What did he say?POGGIOLI: Well, he said it would be catastrophic if special interests prevail over the common good and lead to manipulation of information at the Paris conference. He didn't specify what those special interest are. But he has often expressed disdain for the laissez-faire consumer-oriented economic model and for climate-change deniers. He said either we improve the environment or destroy it. He also spoke of the rising tide of migrants fleeing, desertificationDuring Pope's First Stop In Africa, Climate's On His Mindhttp://klcc.org/post/during-popes-first-stop-africa-climates-his-mind
43057 as http://klcc.orgThu, 26 Nov 2015 21:38:00 +0000During Pope's First Stop In Africa, Climate's On His MindSylvia PoggioliA half-century ago, 40 bishops from around the world gathered in an ancient Roman church and signed a pledge to forsake worldly goods and live like the neediest among their flock.They were in Rome for the Second Vatican Council in 1965, the deliberations that opened the Catholic Church to the modern world.The bishops' all but forgotten pledge, known as the Pact of the Catacombs, has gained new resonance with Pope Francis' vision of a church for the poor.Under the vaulted ceiling of the basilica, a mass is being celebrated to commemorate the pact signed here in 1965. We are just above the Catacombs of Domitilla — many miles of tunnels lined with the tombs of early Christians.One of the celebrants of the mass is the only surviving bishop of the original 40 who signed the pact, Monsignor Luigi Bettazzi, now 92."A group of bishops organized the meeting at the Catacombs of Domitilla ... most of us learned about it by word of mouth," he says.By signing the Pact of the Catacombs, the bishopsPope Francis' Emphasis On Poverty Revives The 'Pact of The Catacombs' http://klcc.org/post/pope-francis-emphasis-poverty-revives-pact-catacombs
43037 as http://klcc.orgThu, 26 Nov 2015 10:08:00 +0000Pope Francis' Emphasis On Poverty Revives The 'Pact of The Catacombs'